Custom car enthusiasts in the lowrider community have embraced vehicle modification as a form of cultural expression, challenging the pressure to conform in a society that frequently overlooks the artistic contributions and cultural identity of minority groups. Join us as photojournalists, cultural curators, and artists discuss the historical impact of lowrider culture and its multigenerational reach.

with Kristin Bedford and Armando Flores

Located at the intersection of aesthetics and social realism, Kristin Bedford’s photography explores race, visual stereotypes, and communal self-expression. Through long-term engagement with communities, Bedford makes photographs that invite us to reconsider prevalent visual narratives around cultural and spiritual movements. Bedford’s monograph Cruise Night (Damiani, 2021), an exploration of the Mexican American lowrider community in Los Angeles, was a best-selling photography book in the USA the year of its release. Her photographs have appeared in solo and group exhibitions throughout the United States and Europe and are held in numerous private and public collections worldwide, including LACMA (Los Angeles County Museum of Art), the Library of Congress and the Archive of Documentary Arts at the Rubenstein Library.

Bedford has given talks internationally about her projects, including presentations at Photo Days Paris, Parsons School of Design, Photo Saint-Germain, Pop-Up Magazine and on numerous National Public Radio broadcasts. Her work has been featured in leading publications including The New York Times, The Guardian, Smithsonian Magazine, The Royal Photographic Society Journal, Aesthetica Magazine, The Telegraph, CNN, Esquire, POLKA Magazine and the British Journal of Photography. Bedford holds a B.A. from George Washington University, an A.A. from The Fashion Institute of Technology and an M.F.A. from Duke University. Born in Washington, D.C., she lives and works in Los Angeles.

Armando Flores is a highly skilled artisan renowned for his meticulous craftsmanship in creating Lowrider scale models. Hailing from Tijuana, Mexico, he migrated to California with his family amidst the burgeoning Lowrider movement of the early 1970s. The passion for his artistry blossomed during this transformative era, drawing inspiration from the vibrant culture and innovation driving the Lowrider scene in America.

Over the years, Armando has garnered numerous accolades for his extraordinary works, showcasing them in prestigious museums and galleries. His miniature marvels have captivated audiences and earned him recognition as a master model builder. Today, he continues to captivate audiences nationally and internationally, sharing his passion and expertise with admirers and enthusiasts worldwide.

Slow & Low: Chicago Lowrider Festival
Established in 2011, Slow & Low: Chicago Lowrider Festival celebrates the heritage of Lowriders. This curated community-cultural exhibition explores and presents Lowrider culture as an original form of American folk and contemporary art. These customized cars are a way of expressing beauty and self-expression by their owners, master craftspeople, innovative mechanics, and modifications including wire wheel rims with whitewall tires, custom pinstriping and upholstery, airbrush muralism, and other contributing visual aesthetics and material objects.

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Tags: Armando Flores, Chicago, Chicago Humanities, Documenting Lowrider Culture and Community, Kristin Bedford, Lower West Side, National Museum of Mexican Art, Slow & Low: Chicago Lowrider Festival